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Spotted a Grand Central 180 (180106*) in Leeds station this morning (~08:20) - wondered what is it doing there? GC don't operate into, out of, or even through Leeds even though it would love to I'm sure! It was showing 'Not in service' on its external PIS. Sat in a bay platform (6 or 7 I...

Hope this hasn't been covered to death here, but this follows on from comments in various refurb, PRM-mod and manufacturing threads. It used to be taken as gospel that a DMU would last ~40 years and an EMU ~45-50 years, with mid-life refurbs to the interior. From personal experience the...

Oooh! I knew that counting equipment existed, but not that anyone was using it in the UK outside of metros/trams. Wider adoption might finally lead to accurate station and line usage figures from the OOR.

Number or density? I don't count the passengers who board and alight - not even the TOCs do that! Regarding density I haven't noticed any differences. Then again I'm a Northern passenger...

Hi, regarding the ticket gallery project, would you be interested in car park tickets issued on common stock? (in case you're wondering, BDQ give significant discounts for car parking if you're a rail user, but they can only be issued from the ticket office, hence common stock) Happy to scan and...

I agree, I think we'll see a repeat of the "Talking Trains Effect"* (the Bradford version of the Sparks Effect) we saw c.2000 whereby the new trains emphasise and publicise the frequency and reliability of the Aire/Wharfedale lines, generating demand. Hopefully Arriva Rail North do as their...

Indeed. To be honest, I’d quite like to be wrong too about automation. My field (cyber security) is firmly in the firing line for it, way before they go for the guys at the front of trains. Returning to the original point of the thread (as we’ve deviated somewhat) - the benefits, effort &...

And I wholeheartedly agree that it needs to deliver greater safety and reliability than a human driver and be thoroughly tested and proven in that area. The driving force to replace drivers may not be strong enough to be worth the investment. Any AI would need to be able to determine what sensor...

Preventing them being fed erroneous data (which is the main malicious reason why you would hack the system) can be dealt with through decent cyber security. No more of an issue than any other part of the UK's critical infrastructure - as it is, the ROCs could be hacked today and carnage wrought...

Absolutely. Also, by then AI / Machine Learning will be advanced enough to correctly interpret the inputs from the sensors that are scanning ahead (as well as the feeds from static sensors on corners, near level crossings and other higher-risk areas) Before anyone says that passengers won't...

Had my first experience with the new seat fabric today (150144). Looks nice, feels like office chair fabric* and may not last too well. Is moquette really that much more expensive to buy/fit? *as I think someone else already said.

True. I very nearly confused Northern and the DfT with competent organisations there.

As a Calder Valley commuter who finds himself on Pacers & 150s almost continuously I find myself in the somewhat self-contradictory position of agreeing with everyone above about 150s. Yes, 150s will get some flak for being old, unless Northern can refurb them before the Pacers go. Even then...

Somewhat lateral to the brief, but KWVR have a couple of on-train bars with real ales. Of course, most of the trains you view will be the one you're on, but it's an interesting alternative

You shouldn't be able to buy something as old-fashioned as a ticket on the train. All trains* should have Oyster-like/Contactless pads to 'bing' in and out, with revenue inspectors to check compliance. Daily cap too, like in London - though this may have to be limited to journeys on a single...

A lot of problems blamed on privatisation (too few drivers, old trains, forcing DOO etc) can be more accurately laid at the door of the DfT and their micromanagement and thus not enough privatisation. Perfect example - OAO's not being allowed to 'abstract' fares from franchised operators. This...

Aren't those the Class 730 Aventras being manufactured by Bombardier? They're what seems to be pictured in the article linked from the wiki page, rather than a 196. It's unsurprising that's the picture chosen for the article, given the huge disparity in the size of the orders (333 vs 80) EDIT...

Apologies if there is an existing thread, couldn't find it. West Midlands Trains (WMT) have apparently ordered 26 Civity DMUs from CAF (80 vehicles in total) under the TOPS classification of 196xxx to replace their 170s - does anyone know how these differ from 195s? Only difference I can find...

I was on 158754 the other day and it’s definitely had a full refurb including the display with oversized font - probably the same unit as johntea above. Even the aircon worked!

Saw 478 in LDS this morning, suitably de-Scotified. Looked in decent condition - to the extent that one or two commuters that got off our 155 were intrigued! Unless you recognised that they're saltires on the moquette you wouldn't know. Tellingly for Northern's low-cost approach to stuff like...